Systemic hypothermia can dramatically postpone neurologic deterioration in hypoxic or anoxic tissues. For example, accidental submersion in cold waters, and the commensurate systemic hypothermia thus produced, has consistently contributed to the neurologic survival of accident victims who would have otherwise sustained irreparable brain damage. Observation of this phenomenon led medical practitioners to induce, intentionally, systemic hypothermia in the course of various hypoxia- and anoxia-producing surgical procedures, in order to decrease both the systemic metabolism and the associated overall oxygen requirement of the patient.
Whereas systemic hypothermia may be induced without difficulty in the hospital environment, emergency inducement of systemic hypothermia in a non-hospital setting can be difficult or impossible. As a result, induced systemic hypothermia forms no part of, for example, pre-hospital emergency cardiac care such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), notwithstanding the beneficial metabolic inhibition which such hypothermia would provide. Similar emergency procedures in which hypothermia has not been induced to date include the pre-hospital emergency care administered to patients in severe shock.